The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.
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TheHorse.com THE HORSE September 2016 NEWSFRONT Inquiries to: 859/276-6726 E-Mail: News@TheHorse.com ERICA LARSON, News Editor @TH_EricaLarson Treating Equine Aural Plaques With Imiquimod: Don't Stop Too Early Have you ever tried to rid your horse's ears of a white, wart- Have you ever tried to rid your horse's ears of a white, wart- like substance? If so, you've likely dealt with aural plaques and have learned how challenging they are to eliminate. But there's some good news: Researchers have confirmed that using a topical medication can eliminate aural plaques, but you have to keep at it even when you see some side effects. you have to keep at it even when you see some side effects. Treatment with 5% imiquimod cream can be effective, but Treatment with 5% imiquimod cream can be effective, but it sometimes causes local inflammatory reactions. This could cause horse owners to stop treatment before they should, presenting "a big problem," said José Paes de Oliveira Filho, DCV, FMVZ, of the Universidade Estadual Paulista, in Brazil. But, despite the side effects, he asserts that imiqui- But, despite the side effects, he asserts that imiqui- But, despite the side effects, he asserts that imiqui- mod cream is effective: "This treatment promoted clinical mod cream is effective: "This treatment promoted clinical Strangles is an age-old disease that everyone's heard of, but how well do we really know it? And how accurately can we predict disease in horses displaying "classic" strangles signs or pinpoint which horses will develop disease complications? As it turns out, results from a recent study suggest there's still much to learn about strangles. The classic "triad" of strangles clinical signs includes fever, a thick nasal discharge, and abscessed submandibular nodes (located under the jaw). Most horses recover uneventfully, but some develop complications, said Ashley Boyle, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's New Bolton Center. ed Medicine's New Bolton Center. c Medicine's New Bolton Center. e Medicine's New Bolton Center. s Medicine's New Bolton Center. e Medicine's New Bolton Center. o Medicine's New Bolton Center. to Medicine's New Bolton Center. Ce Medicine's New Bolton Center. te Medicine's New Bolton Center. Navicular syndrome is a painful performance-limiting hoof condition that's performance-limiting hoof condition that's notoriously challenging to treat and manage. Many owners of affected animals apply a variety Many owners of affected animals apply a variety of approaches to help relieve the discomfort it causes, including complementary therapies such as acupuncture. In a recent study, however, scientists revealed that acupuncture appeared to relieve pain in some horses, but there's no strong evidence to suggest it alleviated pain in all affected horses. evidence to suggest it alleviated pain in all affected horses. Do Foals, Yearlings Need Fecal Egg Counts of Zero? Jennifer L. Bellaw, a PhD student at the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center, in Lexing- ton, and colleagues recently evaluated the impact of two deworming regimens—one rotational and one daily—on young Thoroughbreds' fecal egg counts (FECs), growth rates, and body condition scores. They found that deworm- ing method did not make a significant difference in FECs, but horse age did: Strongyle counts increased continually throughout the study, and ascarid counts peaked at 4.5 months of age. But despite the egg counts, Bellaw said all the study horses had near-perfect body condition scores and growth rates matching reference rates for Kentucky Thoroughbreds. Good management practic- es appear to help compensate for the effects of parasitism, she explained. With that in mind, Bel- law said, "a parasite control program for young horses … should be more strategic and be based on horse age and parasites present," as it is with older horses. Remember that FECs on their own do not provide information on overall horse health or the horse's disease risk. "Those formulating control programs should consider the parasites to target at a given time and which drugs are still efficacious against those target parasites," Bellaw said. The team offers young horse deworming tips at TheHorse. com/37791.—Katie Navarra ANNE M. EBERHARDT/THE HORSE Study: Acupuncture Helps Some Navicular Horses, But Not All ISTOCK.COM MATHEA KELLEY F oals and yearlings are the groups of horses most susceptible to parasitic disease. As such, traditional deworming practices dictate that they be treated on a strict rotational program to elim- inate the strongyles and ascarids that could cause serious disease. But do we really need to eliminate all parasites from young horses' bodies? Researchers have said maybe not. Strangles in Horses: Predicting Disease